


The Defective Twin

by Elysianhyena



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Canon Divergence - A Tale of Two Stans, Filbrick's an asshole, Gen, Glass Shard Beach, Hurt No Comfort, Kinda?, Self-Loathing, Tagging is difficult, Threats, Ugh, Verbal Abuse, What else is new, atots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-06-03 05:54:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6599335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elysianhyena/pseuds/Elysianhyena
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Defective: Definition: imperfect or faulty.</p><p>Pure Stangst. No comfort, just pain. read on if you enjoy that kind of thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Defective Twin

 

_Pa never meant it. It was just a way of shutting him up, right? To shock him enough that he stopped arguing with the old man. That had to be it… Otherwise–_

Stanley shook his head as Stanford sat down next to him, holding out a Pitt soda. “Ma says you haven’t been drinking enough today,” his twin commented, running his fingers slowly over the cool glass, “that you’ve been avoiding the house like it’s on fire or something.”

The younger of the two hummed nonchalantly at this; accepting the bottle and taking a long sip. He didn’t particularly feel like spilling his guts, especially after the incident with their father. He’d just sound like he was whining like a baby. Ford seemed to pay no mind regardless. Then again, he never did.

Ford was very much ‘taken up’ with his studies. He rarely had time to spend on the Stan o’ War anymore and seemed to be averse to spending too much with Stanley either. Through cracks in the wall where no one thought he could hear, Stanley had often heard the phrases “Sometimes, I just want to get rid of him” and “He’s suffocating the kid!” and more often than not it was his pa saying this to one of his many drinking buddies. Maybe all that had a factor in Ford staying away from him, who knows?

“Stanley?”

Stan’s eyes took a moment to focus as he looked over at his brother who was wearing an irritable expression. “Did you hear a word of what I just said?” he huffed.

The younger shook his head, cradling his drink in his hands like a fragile bird. Pretty soon, Ford would probably realise something was up because Stanley was never this quiet. “I’m just a little tired is all… Guess I must have stayed up too late again, huh, Sixer?”

The child genius rolled his eyes skywards, taking a long drag from his own drink before moving to stand up. “Well, try and get some more rest then. I don’t particularly feel like carrying us both through the day tomorrow.” the boy paused in his motion when a tentative hand grabbed his sleeve.

“Ford, do you think…” Stanley started, before chewing on his lip. “Do you think… I was a mistake?”

Stanford blinked down at his twin for a second and then rubbed at his eyes in what seemed like frustration. “Stanley, why are you asking me that now? You know neither of us was planned. I suppose technically you were more so but-” he cut off there, looking down and wishing he had stopped his mouth running away with his thoughts.

Stanley’s hand had fell from his sleeve and lay limp in his lap, but he had a small smile on his lips. Ford didn’t like that smile. That was the smile he gave when he was pretending no one had just ripped out his heart and trampled it into the ground.

“Thanks for being honest, Stanford. I’ll come in later.” his brother let out in an eerily cheery tone. “I just want to be alone for the minute.”

Birds screeched shrilly on the shore as the waves ebbed and flowed, filling the awkward silence that hung around them before Ford turned with a gentle resigned sigh.

_**40 + Years later…** _

“You really aren’t gonna thank me, are you?” Stan whispered gruffly. He waited a minute before continuing “Fine. On one condition: you stay away from the kids; I don’t want them in danger.” he paused a moment, half turning from the brother he thought he might never see again, “’Cause as far as I’m concerned, they’re the only family I have left.”

Ford was silent for possibly five seconds before he muttered under his breath “I wish they were the only family _I_ had left.”

The stairs groaned as Stan was forced to redistribute his weight on it, his head bowing for a second before he pulled it up with a chuckle that seemed almost separate from himself. “You know what? So do I - for you I mean. After all, it must _really_ _**suck**_ having to deal with my _dead weight_ all the time, right?”

The old man twisted around, an unnatural grin splitting his lips that chilled Ford deeper to the bone than any entity within the portal had. This was not the same little smile Ford was accustomed to seeing. This was one that said his brother was hurt beyond repair. This was one that said he was done. Ford almost wasn’t catching Stanley’s words because of it. _Almost._

“I bet you and pa had _loads_ of fun exchanging your hatred for my existence! No, no! It’s _cute_ , really.” he held up a hand, silencing Ford’s stuttering as his brother stepped closer. “Imagining you two sharing a drink and talking about what a royal _fuck up_ I am…”

For every three steps Stan took forward, Ford took three back.

“How you want to just ‘ _get rid of_ ’ me?”

His back finally pressed against the front door, his breath escaping him fast as Stanley advanced on him.

“How I’m ‘ _so weak_ ’?” he licked his lips, nose to nose with Ford before continuing.

“How I’m so… S U F F O C A T I N G?”

The last word was drawn out in a low hiss; causing Ford to swallow hard, not daring to look his brother in the eye with the dark emotion coming off of him in sheet after toxic sheet. This had been a long time coming, Ford knew that, but it didn’t make it any less _terrifying_ seeing his twin in this state.

“Do you want to know what Pa said to me on that day when I asked you if I was a mistake?”

No. Ford didn’t want to know. He shut his eyes as tight as possible. Ford wanted to be back in New Jersey, back in Backupsmore, back in the portal even around about now. Anywhere but here.

Stanley leaned forward, turning his face to whisper directly into the scientist’s ear in a cold emotionless tone: “ _Your brother’s sixth fingers weren’t the worst defect in this family;_ **you _were_**.”

Ford felt like he might be sick. His eyes shot open as Stanley leaned back but before he could say anything, his twin had spun on his heel and left the room.

“…I’m sorry.” he whispered to the darkened hallway.


End file.
